Thad Matta is headed to Indiana. But he won't be the Hoosiers' next head coach.
Indiana will hire Matta – the winningest head coach in Ohio State history – as an associate athletic director for men's basketball administration, per the Indy Star. He'll help newly named head coach Mike Woodson put together his coaching staff, Gregg Doyel reported, and will "handle off-campus duties" with a primary focus on recruiting.
IU is hiring former Butler and Ohio State coach Thad Matta as associate AD for men's basketball administration. Matta will assist an IU staff that will be led by new coach Mike Woodson.
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) March 28, 2021
Woodson will hire three assistants, but Matta will not be one of them. His role will entirely be off of the court. Matta was previously rumored to be a candidate to be the next head coach, but that ended up not coming to fruition.
Before his run came to an end when the Buckeyes fired him in 2017, Matta put together a memorable 13-year stint as their head coach with a 337-123 record. Twice he made the Final Four, and once – in 2007 – he took Ohio State to the national title game. Matta hasn't worked in college basketball since he and the Buckeyes parted four year ago.
Matta, whose name lives in the rafters of the Schottenstein Center, will now try his hand at helping rebuild a fellow Big Ten program in the state of Indiana where he now lives.
